Hand Pan
Hang, Saraz, Halo, Bell — the sweetest instrument you’ll ever hear.
Performance · Lessons
Multi-Instrumentalist & World Music Artist
Aharon Wheels Bolsta
From the West Coast to West Africa — an unforgettable musical experience.
Varanasi · Istanbul · Bali · Essouira · Portugal · Brazil · Ireland · Spain · West Africa
The Journey
A life lived in music
across five continents
Aharon Wheels Bolsta is a multi-instrumentalist whose musical style and influences span the continents — from the West Coast of the USA, to the plains of India, the hills of Bali, the bazaars of Istanbul and Essouira, the coasts of Portugal and Brazil, the pubs of Ireland and Spain, and the sands and rivers of West Africa.
20+
music ensembles & solo projects as a regular member since 1997
30+
projects recorded with, across five continents
“Aharon’s unique style was honed on the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi.”
— from his story, aharonwheelsbolsta.com
He has studied tabla and ragas with masters Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan since the mid‑1990s, bansuri with Ashok Lal (Mehta) and Steve Gorn, and drums under Tom Donlinger and Jim Dalrymple.
What he plays & teaches
A rare breadth of world instruments
Jaw Harp
The dan moi, moorsing — small yet powerful, a banisher of thought.
Performance · Lessons
North Indian Tabla
Studied under Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Performance · Lessons
Kalimba
Originally from Central and West Africa — the kalimba or sanza.
Performance · Lessons
Also taught: bansuri, drum set, kanjira, darabuka / dumbek, vocals, body percussion, rhythm theory, and sonic techniques.
The set‑piece
Rhythm is a circle
In North Indian classical music, time turns in cycles. This is teentaal — sixteen beats in four measures, the first cycle every tabla student learns and a lifetime’s study to master.
Tap the wheel and your browser will synthesize the strokes live — no recording, just code sketching a theka. The real thing, played by real hands, lives in the recordings below.
Dha Dhin Dhin Dha · Dha Dhin Dhin Dha · Dha Tin Tin Ta · Ta Dhin Dhin Dha
92 bpm · synthesized in your browser
Featured recordings
Real hands, real rooms
Dual Kalimbas in Three Parts · 2013
Recorded as part of an application to graduate school — this is the kalimba solo, featuring C Blues minor Raven, C major Elephant, and D semi-chromatic Heart thumb pianos. Aharon never did go back for that degree.
Handpan Awesomeness · 2016
An excerpt from a lesson using Konakul — the rhythmic language of South India — to play the handpan (Hang, Bell, Saraz, Halo). An approach that bridges musical traditions in a way rarely heard.
Percussion Trio · Varanasi, 2007
Tabla, bendir, and riqq — recorded in Varanasi with Liron Peled and friends.
More on SoundCloud, YouTube, and Bandcamp.
Study with Aharon
Three ways to learn
01
Private Lessons
Beginning to advanced students, in-person or online. Handpan, tabla, kalimba, jaw harp and more.
02
Online Courses
Instructional video series for handpan, kalimba, and body percussion. Membership tiers from ~$10/month with live group sessions at higher levels.
03
Free Content
YouTube tutorials and SoundCloud recordings available to all. Explore body percussion, handpan technique, and world rhythm — no subscription needed.
Online lesson packages
$70 · one hour
$390 · six hours
$720 · twelve hours
Teaching internationally — workshops integrating classical Indian rhythm techniques and theory with body percussion, for dozens of students at a time.
Book · Study · Say hello
Bring the music to your event
Aharon can play or teach at your party, festival, workshop, online or offline event — he has performed for rites of passage ceremonies, weddings, museum exhibits, and even MLB baseball games. Whether you’re interested in lessons, live performance, or collaboration, he’d love to hear from you.
